A different world
It was May 20, 2019: the world had not yet experienced Covid and the pandemic, the Russian army had not yet invaded Ukraine, and Mercedes still dominated Formula 1 unchallenged, while the current reigning two-time world champion, Max Verstappen, had only won five Grand Prix races in his career. That morning, a Monday that marked the beginning of the week leading up to the Monaco GP weekend, all motorsport enthusiasts woke up with a heavy heart. The news of the day was the death of Niki Lauda, who passed away at the age of 70 at the University Hospital in Zurich.
Farewell Niki
In his memory, a few days later on the streets of the Principality – where Lauda had achieved two victories and three pole positions in his career – the entire Formula 1 world turned red with helmets, caps, and references on the cars to honor him. Today, four years later, the affection for one of the greatest legends in the history of motorsport is still enormous. On this day, the memory of Niki Lauda has been celebrated by the entire F1 community.
The memories of Ferrari and Mercedes
Special attention naturally came from Ferrari and Mercedes, the two teams – along with McLaren – that had the greatest impact on Niki Lauda’s sporting life. With the Prancing Horse, the Viennese champion won his first two world titles and became a true legend, surviving the horrific Nürburgring fire in 1976, which left him disfigured but from which Lauda returned after just six weeks, completing one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of world sport.
Mercedes, on the other hand, became his home in the later part of his life, as a senior executive, contributing to the creation of a winning dynasty that, thanks in part to his efforts, rewrote all the records of Formula 1. Both official social media channels – as well as the Formula 1 channel – posted a tribute to the three-time champion: “Today marks four years since we lost our friend Niki. Even though he is no longer with us, his spirit still lies at the heart of everything we do,” the touching message delivered by Brackley. “Remembering one of the greats, Niki Lauda,” was the more ‘official’ commemoration published by Ferrari.
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